Ole Miss fans enraged by controversial fumble call in Egg Bowl

Originally posted on FanNation College Football HQ
By James Parks | Last updated 11/24/22

Ole Miss football fans were left enraged after what they believed was an incomplete pass was instead ruled a backward toss and a fumble recovered by Mississippi State in a rainy, back-and-forth Egg Bowl on Thursday.

With the Rebels facing a 1st and 10 from their own 36-yard line and trailing 24-16 to their in-state rivals, Jaxson Dart threw a screen pass intended for Jonathan Mingo, but the ball was dropped.

However, while officials initially ruled the pass incomplete, Mississippi State's sideline argued that the pass was backward and a live ball that was recovered by the Bulldogs.

Ole Miss, for its part, contended an inadvertent whistle should have meant the play was ruled dead in the first place.

After further review, officials overturned the play in favor of Mississippi State by calling it an Ole Miss fumble.

The home crowd reacted by throwing things into the end zone, but thankfully the situation didn't escalate any further than that.

Things did escalate on the field, however, when Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers fumbled the ball with the offense just inches from the goal line and apparently on the verge of scoring another touchdown to put the game out of reach. Suddenly, the Rebels were in position to strike.

Following the fumble recovery, Ole Miss drove 99 yards the other way and quarterback Jaxson Dart hit Dayton Wade for what appeared to be the go-ahead 23-yard touchdown to pull within two points of the Bulldogs.

But the Rebels' two-point conversion failed and MSU recovered the subsequent onside kick to help seal the win, sending the Golden Egg back to Starkville.

Back in mid-October, Ole Miss was in the fight for the No. 1 spot in the SEC West. Now, just a month later, it could place fifth in the division after dropping four of its last five games.

And could be on the verge of losing its head coach.

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This article first appeared on FanNation College Football HQ and was syndicated with permission.

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